Nisei Koi Farm 2010 Harvest

It's looking like I'll be able to get up to NJ for the harvest Main Event next weekend. For a while I wasn't sure I would. It's being held about 3 weeks earlier than in prior years. (Something about trying to avoid the cold rain that seems to hover over the area in late October.) Anyone from K-B attending, please be sure to introduce yourself.

Every year there will be one fish that keeps coming to mind. This year is different. There are two I keep thinking about. One is "85", who I've chatted about in other threads. But, I also keep thinking about this Showa with persimmon beni. I got her as a 7-inch tosai in May 2008. She grew to be 17 inches by that Fall. In 2009 she did not grow much in the strangely cool summer that year, but did get to about 21 inches. Her body development was nonetheless very nice in every other respect. But, she had become entangled in a monofilament line that was causing a girdling effect across her shoulder. On close inspection, the line had not cut into her and was wrapping the scales in a way that did not look likely to cause permanent damage. Maybe it was a good thing that her growth was held back by the cool temps? I decided to keep her in the mud another season.

She was named Minamoto as tosai because her tiger pattern gave her the look of a warrior to my eye. I'm really looking forward to seeing her and hoping she has overcome adversity.

It's a good year whenever we get to see our fish return from the mud ponds in good shape. The chance we take but it does make the harvest excieting. You fish looks real good in the picture you must be on pins and needles. I have two in the mud this year,,,a showa and a sanke. I think the sanke is the one I am most exceited about. She is in the acre pond I think, getting the fish out of that pond is a production,,,I wonder how much she will have grown??? Glad your comming and hopeing to see some moore familer faces. Joyce

Joyce: Yep, there are inherent risks in a mudpond no matter how hard folks work to try to avoid them. But, there is truth in the talk about "the magic of a mudpond". Growth is what we usually focus upon, but I think that is overly one dimensional. Koi summered in the mud have a robust quality that a hobby pond can only try to approach. The skin has higher lustre and youthfulness, the body strength is enhanced... everything is a bit better than in a hobby pond. Folks are always awestruck seeing them come out of the muddy water. They glow. Of course, viewed close-up the colors may actually be 'down', and take a couple of days in clear water to come out. We've seen some real transformations in past years just in a few hours after being pulled from the mud. Last year the unusually cool summer held back the growth in length, but the koi still had that special aura.

Looking back over my photos of the ones I have in the mud, I get anxious to see everyone of them. This Showa struck my fancy as tosai. (I've no will power when it comes to a pretty face... even one with 'War Paint' ) Last Fall she came out with huge volume, perhaps too much for nisai? I don't think so under the circumstances. The cool water held back her growth in length, but she kept eating, putting on the weight. My hope for next weekend is that she will have made up on length and have a more typical body shape. We'll see. That's what makes the harvest so much fun.

I wish all the folks that have koi coming out the best of results to their satisfaction. nice to see the changes from year to year in the photographs.... If you get a chance to photo Mat and Jen's son and daughter, I'd love to see how much they've grown!

Redman: I look forward to meeting you. NKF is really focused on gosanke, but Mat did spawn some Kikokuryu this year and there are usually some neat Kujaku on hand. Maybe we can pull Mat aside for a moment to do a little teaching about these varieties.

Yes, likewise. I have several of NKF koi. I've only been in the hobby a few years so I started with some smaller koi. I'm pretty confident with my keeping abilities so we'll see what this year brings. See you there. Oh, I'll be the one with the 3 little boys. They love koi too! Future hobbyists!

You've posted two of the varieties for which NKF is building a reputation. Overall, Mat is deservedly best known for Sanke. Some very special ones have been produced. Over the past two years, the Showa have been special. It will be a couple of years more before we see them at a size to contend at shows in the U.S., but I don't doubt they will be amazing folks. As to Yamabuki, just about every wannabe breeder around produces a gazillion of them every year, but you do not readily find Yamabuki that will grow to 90cm+ and hold a strong shine. NKF produces some. I don't think they are fully appreciated simply because the variety is so commonly seen folks do not pay attention. I don't know if there was a Yamabuki spawn this year. But, there are usually a few bigger gals on the farm that can show the possibilities of a nice Yammy.

There are a couple of things I'm looking forward to seeing. I'm hoping to see that the Showa production is continuing at the high level set two years ago. And, I want to see whether the new Kohaku oyagoi have succeeded.